Young Bill Young, here. I’m working with the Oklahoma Center for the Book, arranging an event in Tulsa to celebrate Oklahoma’s romance writers. Obviously, we wanted to invite authors representing different genres within romance: i.e. Christian romance, romantic thrillers, historical love stories. It was interesting that our invitation list did not include any African American romance authors who call Oklahoma home.

During my search, I did come across some interesting information. For example, the incoming president of the Romance Writers of America is African American. In fact, RWA will have its second black president this decade. The news comes from Angela T and her blog, Saving Black Romance. Angela T is also a contributer to Romancing the Blog, and she offers this recent column on the marketing of African American romance novels. (Be sure and read Angela’s related posts and the comments to get a better gist of this issue.)

Love stories are universal, and they are relevant in all cultures and times. Michigan’s Beverly Jenkins (whose book “Captured” illustrates this post) specializes in African American romances set during the 19th Century — a time rife with all kinds of political, social and, er, lustful possibilities. And just think about the kinds of black romance novels that could use Oklahoma history as a backdrop, a history that includes black slaves coming to Indian Territory, the movement of black families into the Territories, the Green Corn Rebellion, the lunch counter sit-ins. No matter the times, places or situations, love finds a way.

So does this white boy want to read a steamy black romance? Maybe. I could always use a break from my sci-fi stories and geeky graphic novels. My Twitter friend Literary Nobody in Tulsa is a writer who’s always looking for different subjects and issues to address. Hey, LN: want to write us a love story?

And, of course, if you’re a black romance author in Okieland, or you know one, I’m depending on you to set me straight!

Oklahoma Online is graphically clever with the symbols and information. Enchanted Learning gives the school kid twist. TravelOK is a good source, complete with activity sheet for the kids to color and fill out.

Have fun with our symbols, your kids will love them and it’s fun Okie trivia.

So if you were going out for the official Okie meal, what would you order? Hope you know what drink to have with the meal and I’ll give you a clue it’s not Choc Beer.

And the author of Conversations with God, Neale Donald Walsch, as reported in an article on the New York Times website, announced his essay published on the internet site Beliefnet was not actually his experience, but “internalized it as my own experience”.  Ms. Candy Chand who actually penned the story seemed none too pleased,  

“I have strong issue with anyone who would appear to plagiarize my work and pretend it is his own,” she said. “That takes away from the truth of the material, it takes away from the miracle that occurred, because people begin to question what they can believe anymore.

“As a professional writer, when someone appears to plagiarize, they damage the industry, they damage other writers’ credibility and they hurt the reader because they never know what to believe anymore.”

A Christmas story is plagarized, what’s that about?

I found this website at Elegant Variations, about the  Best 2008 Books of the Year Symposium at Ready Steady Book. Here are some very interesting reads from people  more clever than I.  And I found the voting page for the Best Literature Blogs at webblogawards. My inspirations. Get the vote out, or at least check out these blogs.